That Old Black Magic
by Gillsandsundry
Summary: Pepsquee. Set after comic, Squee is out of the DHMI. Todd and Pepito attend the same Hi Scool, Pepito is working with his father to get souls, but his growing feelings for Todd confuse his friend on their awkward path to discovering more about each other and themselves.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N**__: Ok, this will be my first story on this site and I do not yet have a beta, so bear with me here on the inevitable typos that I'll miss. I welcome constructive criticism and pointing out mistakes and typos so I can fix them! (Emphasis on constructive, thanks). Note, this story will start out rated T for harsh language and (in a bit) mentions of sex. Later on it will be pushed up to M. Also of note, while I use the word "faggot" in this story, I in no way condone the casual use of the word! It is highly offensive and I hate using it myself but I felt it was needed to provide realism to the teens._

_It is Pepsquee, in case you missed that._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Todd Casil paused a moment, letting the soothing burn of hot water run over his almost unhealthily slim body, before twisting the shower off and stepping out to complete the preparations for his second first day at Hi Scool. Dressing quickly in his favorite neutral-face t-shirt and jeans, he briefly flashed back to the day not more than two weeks ago when his previous Hi Scool's mystery meat loaf suddenly consumed the kitchen staff and half the students of first lunch before spontaneously combusting and burning down half the scool. Todd still wondered if Pepito might have had something to do with the way the flames managed to actually melt the brick walls, but the half-demon denied it.

Todd brushed messy bangs out of his eyes and avoided looking in the still foggy mirror, knowing that only the face of someone who looks like they haven't slept in a week would be staring back at him.

A rustling noise from the next room over reminded him that he needed to finish his morning routine before either of his parents returned to consciousness. He liked to be out the door at 6:30 before his father got up at 7:00 to go to his job, guarding the city's cesspool. Todd padded quietly out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl of cereal, downing it, and washing the dishes before heading to the living room. There he cleaned up empty beer bottles and spilled pills, trying desperately hard to not think of the woman who gave birth to him lying practically comatose on the couch, facing a humming TV showing the static channel. He let a small sad sigh escape him as he carefully slipped a nearly empty bottle of booze out from the limp woman's hand. He took the armload of items out to the trash before grabbing his backpack and mailed-out scool schedule and heading off to school at a brisk pace.

Since the burning of his old scool, all the students were transferred to one roughly the same distance from his house, but in the opposite direction. Dodging crazy drivers and feral chihuahuas, Todd eventually found himself outside the front gate of his new scool. It was early and few other students had arrived, so he took a moment to study the outside of the building. Red bricks, white sign out front, asphalt playground with two beat up basketball hoops, a tree, a couple benches, and the fence. Yup, it looked almost exactly like his old Hi Scool. Maybe a little bigger.

"Buenos dias, Amigo!" a loud voice pierced the cool morning air.

"Sqee-!" Todd covered his mouth a little too late to stop the surprised yelp that so long ago gave him his nickname.

"Ah, so excited to see me? It's only been a little over a week." He gave a smirk that looked almost predatory, as usual.

"Hello Pepito." Todd got only a brief moment to observe Pepito's favorite outfit – buckled combat boots, black skinny jeans, studded belt, tight leather jacket over a shirt presenting a human skull with fangs, the chain of his favorite lock necklace slipping below the collar of his shirt (someone had called it lame in 8th grade and after making the kid fall down the stairs, Pepito wore it under his shirt), and the usual messy hair that seemed to naturally defy gravity – before being patted on the back and guided through the entrance of the scool. Even though they were juniors, it was like the first day of Freshman year all over again. The students in the filling hallways stared at Todd and Pepito, except for those who came from their old scool and were busy trying to find their first period classes. Pepito glared at a few jocks who looked like they were going to make a rude comment right off the bat at the almost cowering skinny boy beside him.

"What class do you have first?" Pepito asked.

"Uh…" Todd pulled out his schedule, "English."

Pepito studied his own schedule, Todd hadn't seen him pull it out from anywhere though, and looked between theirs. "Ah, Squee, it looks like we only have two classes together, and lunch." Another trademark grin. "P.E. and Chemistry."

Todd almost cringed, he idn't have a science class with Pepito at their previous scool, and knew that putting him and explosive chemicals in the same room together could only mean trouble.

Todd got teased. A lot. He liked to read where other kids liked to play sports. He liked to write where other kids socialized. He was not very tall, but quite thin, features exaggerated by his frequently cowering stance and sleep-deprived eyes. Todd Casil was abnormal and so bullied and teased and despised by other kids. Pepito Diablo was the opposite, he was loud, tall, slim but with some muscle, and always walked tall with a smirk dancing at the surface. The Anti-Christ was social, he chose to dress dark because it suited him when he was too young to weave the proper glamor spell to hide his horns and pointed teeth, and now the outfit served the more sinister purpose of allowing him into the social circle most likely to voluntarily sign over souls. Since his use of magic greatly increased, so had the seemingly random violent "accidents" that tended to happen to people who pissed him off. Rumors spread through their last scool and all but the goths, punks, and emos now steered clear of him.

Todd moved away from Pepito to enter his first period class, shuddering inwardly at the thought of more violence caused by his friend. He imagined Pepito putting on his usual act for his own first period teacher, putting on a big fake smile as he introduced himself politely, the teacher never noticing the predatory glint to his gaze.

Todd's English teacher looked creepily similar to his old teacher, Ms. Bitters, but was older with skin so wrinkly it looked like it could slough off at any moment. A plaque on her grungy desk stated her name as Mrs. Withers. The old woman in question looked up as Todd entered the room, and then went back to grading papers without a single word. Taking a seat in the back of the room, to avoid being noticed as much as possible, he watched the rest of the students file into the room.

The others were mostly seniors as Todd was placed a year ahead in English as soon as he entered Hi Scool. He found the class to be easy and boring and spent the time doing the monotonous formulaic homework, and then using whatever time he had left as time to work on his personal stories.

The teacher didn't even bother with attendance or introductions. Starting right in with a dull lecture on the joys of writing essays and the evils of creative writing, she soon managed to send half the class to sleep and the other half chatted quietly, passed notes, or stuck gum under the tables to see who could make the longest stalactite.

* * *

The day went by surprisingly smoothly. Students that might as well be sheep shuffled from one class to another. There were only a few fights, mere squabbles over dominance among the more popular kids, and only minor insults half-heartedly aimed at Todd a few times. Then came Chemistry.

Mr. Sunburg was one of those teachers so easily turned to putty in Pepito's hands, which he did not hesitate to do. With a smile and a few sugar-coated words, Pepito would be able to get away with anything in this class and still get an A+.

Todd was thankful there was a strict random seating chart, it meant that Pepito was seated across the room from him. In truth, Pepito scared Todd. The demon was unpredictable and dealt out pain to everyone it seemed except Todd. That made him very nervous. He watched time and time again as Pepito made friends with the darker dregs of the student body, sucking them in and eventually persuading them to sign over their souls. They never seemed much changed for it, but Todd knew what lay in the Diablo's basement and knew that he never wanted to see it ever again. He glanced over at the Anti-Christ to see him chatting with Zita, a girl from their previous Hi Scool who Todd was pretty sure already signed over her soul and was now actually working for Pepito in gathering new victims. Now Todd did shudder as the two noticed him and waved.

He gave a little jump when a feminine voice next to him disrupted his thoughts.

"Do you, like, know those two?"

He turned to see an obviously popular girl sitting next to him, flipping her hair.

"Naw, I bet he's just a fuckin' faggot and likes that creepy one." A male voiced chimed in from the table behind Todd.

"Eww, gross, you're like totally right James, like how did I not notice it. Look how skinny he is, he probably has like AIDs or something."

"I'm always right babe." A pause, "hey, faggot breath, you gonna so suck some dick later or what."

Todd remained silent, scooting down in his char a little more as a wad of paper was flicked into the back of his head, glancing nervously at Pepito, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Shit. Pepito was looking in his direction questioningly. Todd quickly flashed him a smile, hoping against all hope that the scary teen would think everything was all right and ignore the two popular kids. Even though they were stupid and mean, they didn't deserve to have their heads blown up or anything. He let out an invisible sigh of relief as Pepito gave him a strange look but turned back to proclaim to the teacher, who was taking attendance, that he was present.

* * *

After class, Todd was retrieving his backpack from his locker when he heard Pepito's familiar footsteps approaching.

"Hey Squee, are you coming over tonight for dinner? My mother has been wondering when you'll join us again, she so loves to cook for guests."

He couldn't read the expression on Pepito's face, but he did hear the guilt tripping in the invitation. Rosemary was the only adult to really show him kindness and he did love her cooking. After his year in the D.H.M.I. she got him out, though she had been unable to prevent him from being sent back under the care of his parents. In some ways he didn't mind that so much. He felt he had a responsibility to take care of them and support them, as he knew that he was the cause of all the ruin in their lives. But still, living with them was hard and he found himself almost living at Pepito's house during the scool week. He often felt guilty about it.

"Sure Pepi, I just need to drop by my parents' house and get the mail first.

Pepito nodded and headed off at a brisk pace to the dark red car waiting for him in the parking lot. After one terrifying ride in it, Todd decided that he much preferred to walk the mile to and from scool every day.

Todd didn't even bother opening the door when he arrived back home, just grabbing the mail from the rusty old mailbox while cautiously eying the scary neighbor's house. Johnny hadn't made a midnight visit to him in years, but Todd still felt that festering fear of the emaciated maniac whenever he looked at the dilapidated house or slept in his own room.

Pepito's house was only several blocks away, in the nicer part of the neighborhood with green lawns and white picket fences. It even had flowers and plastic flamingoes out front. The front door was swung open after the second knock, making Todd jump.

"Hello mi amigo. You took long enough, my mother has already made a batch of cookies for us." Pepito stepped aside to allow Todd in. He moved into the room politely hanging up his coat and slipping off his shoes. He watched as, on his way to the kitchen, Pepito shed the magic that maintained his entirely human appearance. Now dark horns curved a good five inches from his head, black painted nails turned to naturally black talons, and very light brown skin became decidedly more olive in color. Todd was used to his friend looking like this, but it still managed to cause his nerves to go slightly on edge whenever he saw the change. He didn't know why though, Pepito was just as dangerous no matter what he looked like.

"Todd, sweety! It is good to see you again!" Rosemary stepped from the kitchen to engulf him in a large hug, a little awkward now that he was the same height as her. She embraced her son and ducked back into the kitchen to return with a plate of chocolate-chip cookies, "You boys have fun, and don't forget to finish your homework!"

"We won't, mother." Pepito turned with Todd to head up to his room.

Pepito's room was large but not huge and decorated just like what you would expect from a more punk teenaged boy. Todd had once asked about the lack of satanic items and Pepito had shrugged, saying it was nice having a space where he could pretend to be normal when at home. Then and now Todd was grateful for the normalcy of band posters, a bookshelf, desk with laptop, and TV set up with the latest gaming equipment complete with two well-used beanbag chairs. Pepito slumped into the chair at the desk, pulling homework out of his red and black backpack with a scowl showing off his fangs. Todd followed suit and took up his usual spot on Pepito's king-sized bed. Settling into the fluffy surface, preparing to spend the next couple of hours in relative silence.

"Todd?"

"Hmm?" He looked up to find a set of mismatched red eyes boring into his own with a hint of concern, an abnormal expression on the half-demon's face. He only called him Todd when it was something serious.

"Was that guy in chemistry bothering you? I could make his next project blow up." His tone was calm.

Todd's eyes widened. "N-no. That's ok Pepi. He wasn't really bothering me, really. You don't have to hurt him." By the end he was looking down at his hands, fidgeting with his pencil. It was hard to lie to his best friend, but he really didn't want anyone else hurt on his behalf.

"You sure?"

He could feel Pepito's gaze still burning into the top of his down-turned head, "Yes."

"Ok."

With that, the conversation was over. Todd relaxed after he heard Pepito return to his work and for the next couple hours the only sounds to be heard were the turning of pages and the scratching of pencils.

* * *

As Todd put the final touches on the mathematical proof, he was slightly startled by Pepito suddenly pushing back his chair with a loud declaration of "Done!"

"Pepito! Todd! Dinner is just about ready! Come down and set the table please!" Rosemary's voice filtered faintly up the stairs.

Pepito let out a groan, but opened the door and shouted compliance down the stairs.

Todd gets up, wincing at the loss of circulation in his left foot and the pins and needles signaling it coming back. Shuddering again, he tried to not think about needles, biting back the threatening terror left from the D.H.M.I. He followed Pepito downstairs.

At the bottom of the stairs, both boys were nearly knocked over by a large and enthusiastic wolf-dog. Todd bit back a squee. That dog still made him nervous though Pepito still tried to convince him that she wouldn't hurt him.

"Woofles!" Pepito cried happily, cuddling and petting the smiling hell-hound, "You're home early, did the uh…" quick glance at Todd, "rabbits become boring?"

If it was possible, Woofle's smile grew, showing every single one of her razor sharp teeth.

"Pepito." Rosemary's voice rang with a slight warning.

"Coming!" he replied, stepping away from his pet and grabbing the dishes already stacked on the table, spreading them out.

Helping in silence, Todd was listening to his friend hum the song 'We Didn't Start the Fire' softly to himself. A smile played over the smaller boy's face at the scene of the Anti-Christ, son of Satan, humming cheerily and setting a table covered in a flower print tablecloth. Slowing slightly in his activity, Todd watched Pepito, but then his friend's eyes looked up to meet his gaze with slightly puzzled humor.

"See something you like amigo?"

Todd could feel his face starting to heat up in response to the suggestive question. Racking his brain for a response, he was saved from further embarrassment by Juan Diablo stepping in the front door in his human disguise, sporting the usual suit and briefcase.

Mrs. Diablo came out of the kitchen to greet her husband with a big hug, "Welcome home dear, how was your day?"

Satan dropped the disguise, lightly kissing his wife, "Thank you dear. As for my day, I believe it was quite successful." The last part said with a smirk dispelling any doubt that Pepito was the son of the demon.

"Hello father." Pepito managed to look both humble and defiant, a stance Todd saw performed only in front of the ruler of Hell.

"Hello Pepito, and greetings to you too Todd, it is nice to see you again. Have you taken any more thought on my offer?" Juan glided over to sit across the table from where the two boys usually sat.

Todd emphatically shook his head in the negative. While Pepito had ceased to actively ask him for his soul several years ago, Juan Diablo continued to bring it up.

"Father, he said no the first time you asked." Pepito sounded a bit exasperated.

"Yes, but he can always change his mind."

Todd did not miss the slightly worried look Pepito passed his way as Rosemary brought out dinner and everyone was seated, passing food to fill their plates. Now he was more confused than ever. Didn't Pepito still want to own his soul? Was there a difference between Satan and Pepito owning a soul? Were they in competition for it? Did Pepito really want it? Or has it become so damaged by all the horrible things that happened to him, making it almost worthless? But if that were the case, then why would Mr. Diablo continue to ask for it? He was so confused he nearly missed Rosemary's question.

"How was your day?" she repeated.

"Oh, um, it was just fine. Nothing bad happened." He swiftly shoved a forkful of food in his mouth to avoid talking further.

Thankfully, Pepito seemed to be more than happy to chat amiably about his day, filling the time throughout dinner.

* * *

Later, back in Pepito's room, Todd took a few minutes while Pepito set up a video game to look through the mail gathered from his house. Luckily it was all junk mail. No bills. He had painstakingly gone through all the papers in the house a few years ago to make sure he had all the information he needed to fill out the paperwork since his father had stopped doing it and Todd discovered a notice about possibly losing the house if everything wasn't paid. Now he also worked a job on the weekends in order to make ends meet. He sighed silently while thinking about all this, dumping the junk mail in the small trash next to Pepito's desk. The half-demon was already slumped comfortably into one of the beanbag chairs as Todd plopped down beside him, picking up the other controller. Sounds of the game filled the room.

Several hours later, Todd barely registered his character dying once again as he nodded off in the comfortable beanbag chair.

"Tired amigo?" Pepito's voice seemed to be drifting through a haze.

Todd's eyes slid shut and a moment later he felt something soft and warm against his cheek. Too warm. Realizing it had been Pepito's lips pressed against his cheek his eyes shot open in shock, watching his friend get up and head towards the bathroom.

"P-pepi?"

"I'm going to take a shower Squee, then I think it's time for bed."

"What was that?"

"I said-" He turned, maintaining a straight face.

"No," Todd blurted, interrupting him, "What was the, um…?" He pointed to his cheek where he could feel a blush starting to form.

"A sign of affection between friends amigo, people do it all the time." Tilting his head slightly, he gave the softest smirk Todd had ever seen, "If you get this flustered every time I may have to do it more often, it's cute."

At a complete loss for words, Todd was too shocked to do anything but watch his friend turn back around and continue into the bathroom. It wasn't until he could hear the shower start up that his brain decided to boot up again. It was true that sometimes friends kissed each other on the cheek, he had seen it at scool plenty of times, but it was usually between girls who were friends. Then he remembered that it was also common in Mexican culture, which Pepito inherited supposedly from his father's side. That whole thing was never clear. But then why hadn't Pepito ever done that before? Poor Todd was more confused than ever, getting up and grabbing his set of pj's from Pepito's closet. It had become a habit to keep a couple sets of clothes at Pepito's house since he had started sleeping over as often as possible. Sometimes the Diablo's home seemed to scare away the nightmares that usually plagued him, and ever since Shmee stopped talking there was little reason to sleep at home most days.

Pulling the sleeping shirt over his head, he almost scoffed at his mental wording. The Diablo's house was just as much home as where his parents lived. He was still contemplating Rosemary's offer to have him file for complete independence from his parents and to come live permanently with Pepito, but who then would take care of his parents? He would feel too bad about leaving them.

He heard the water stop, and a few minutes later Pepito walked out in his own pajamas. Todd took his turn in the bathroom, brushing his teeth with the extra toothbrush reserved just for him.

When he got back, Pepito was already under the covers, facing the wall so that Todd could sleep facing the room, making him feel safer. He did just that. Shortly after pulling the covers up to his chin, a familiar scratching noise came from the door. Feeling shifting behind him, he could see Pepito out of his peripheral vision motioning his clawed hand to open the door and let Woofles in, closing it behind her and flicking the lights off in three fluid strokes before the hand retreated, followed by some more shuffling around.

In the pitch-blackness of the room, Todd was listening as the wolf-dog padded over to the bed and jumped up on the end, settling down with a contented sigh at their feet.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here there be quite a bit of corse language. Also, slight trigger warning for somewhat graphic scene of getting beat up. Mentions of sex. I'm trying out some stuff from Pepito's point of view, tell me what you think :)

* * *

**Chapter 2 **

A whole week went by relatively uneventfully. Todd watched as the numbers of Pepito's followers grew to a group of five. There had been a party over the weekend that Pepito invited him to, but as usual Todd declined. He knew what went on at those kinds of parties, just a lot of booze, drugs, and sex. Oh, Todd knew that his friend had been sexually active since the age of thirteen, he suspected it was one of the ways in which Pepito got people to sign over their souls to him, by getting them involved in some satanic mating ritual or something. Todd didn't really want to know, and had picked up more hints in group conversations than he would have liked. His time at the D.H.M.I. made him generally fearful of human contact. He was only comfortable with the level of closeness he had with Pepito because they had been somewhat friends before he was committed to that place of torture.

Because of James, in that first week the popular kids labeled Todd as gay. He didn't actively try to dispel the rumors, it helped sometimes to keep them away from him. It was a little annoying, and the teasing was getting worse, but he figured if he didn't react and fended off any defensive attacks from Pepito with a smile across the room in chemistry, everything would be just fine.

Todd was the first to arrive at their usual lunchtime hangout, an old table with cuss words and inappropriate phrases carved into it so many times that it was finally dumped out by the dumpster in back of the scool. He ignored the few smokers not yet recruited by Pepito, leaning against the brick wall several feet away, staring listlessly into an overcast smoggy sky.

Zita was the first to join him, "Hey Squee, seen Pepi yet?" she asked.

Looking up, Todd pointed behind her where he could see the object of her question walking at a steady pace in their direction, followed by four others.

Reaching the table, Pepito embraced Zita in a hug, followed by a swift kiss on the cheek. Todd mentally noted that Pepito did indeed kiss friends on the cheek, but returned to his earlier confusion when Zita pulled the disguised Anti-Christ in for a proper kiss, whispering something in his ear about "later". Todd quickly focused back on his notebook, pretending to reread the story he just wrote about a boy who becomes so skinny that light bends around him, making him invisible. Of course Pepito and Zita were having casual sex every once in a while. She said as much to Todd in a highly awkward conversation a year ago where she had practically asked him if it was ok. Todd, completely embarrassed, quickly denied being anything but friends with Pepito. What was almost more embarrassing was that at the time Zita laughed it off as him just being modest, saying, "Oh, come on! How can you not be banging that?"

He almost blushed again at the memory as everyone took his or her seat around the table to chat about whatever party was going on next. Todd took notice of Pepito watching the newest member of his group, a guy named Dekker. Todd figured his friend was staking out the right time to reel in his next victim. Internally shuddering, he tuned out the conversation as best he could.

While packing up to go before the end of the lunch bell rang, Todd was surprised by an unfamiliar arm settling across his shoulders. He jumped, letting out a signature squee.

The owner of the arm, turning out to be none other than Dekker, laughed. "Now I know why they all call you Squee! Hey, what do you think about getting together sometime?" then whispering conspiratorially, "I bet I could show you a good time."

If it was at all possible, Todd shrank into himself even more, sending a nervous glance towards Pepito who no doubt heard the guy. "Um, uh…" he stammered.

Pepito disengaged his arm from around Zita to pull Todd in under his arm and away from Dekker, "Mi amigo here isn't much for partying I'm afraid," his grip around Todd's shoulders loose, "Are you Squee?"

"N-no." He managed to get out. Pepito's familiar excessive warmth was somewhat comforting, but something in the taller boy's tone sounded almost possessive, making him a little nervous. He shook that notion away as a trick of his ears. Pepito was just helping him out of a situation that he clearly didn't want to be in. It was something friends did. That's all.

With a disappointed looking smile, Dekker backed off and wandered off to whatever class he had next as the lunch bell rang.

Todd and Pepito walked silently to P.E.

* * *

The dreaded class was more torturous than usual today. They shared it with James and his football friends, and to make matters worse, the teacher announced that they were going to be playing dodge ball. Why the overweight man thought dodge ball was a good idea, Todd could not fathom. James leered at him from across the room as the teacher assigned sides.

"…James, team one. Todd, team two. Pepito, team one." He finished off.

Oh no. Oh no no no. This was bad, really, really, really bad. Todd fought back a panic attack as the class split up, noticing his side was mostly the nerds and geeks. His gaze fell back to James, who was grinning at him evilly from across the room, mouthing the word "faggot". Todd closed his eyes in fear. He was so dead.

The teacher dumped a bin of unnecessarily hard balls in the middle of the floor and blew the whistle.

The carnage began.

Todd instinctively ducked behind other students, dodging the assault. Ducking and weaving in an attempt to put more distance between himself and James, he whispered apologies at every scream that broke out as a kid in front of him was hit.

He suddenly found himself on open ground. Time seemed to pause as he swiveled to see none other that James directly across the middle line from him, the evil grin back in full force. Deciding that it was better to die facing your enemy than running and screaming like the others, Todd steeled himself for a full-powered hit to the face. He closed his eyes, clenching his fists, and waited. Instead of the brain-damaging blow he was expecting, he was knocked over and winded by the ball slamming into his side. He gasped at the blooming pain, and through the spots in his vision, saw James sprawled out on the ground with an almost equally surprised look on his face. Had someone knocked him over?

Todd didn't wait to find out as another ball sailed over his head. Scrambling up, he clenched his aching side and dodged his way over to the bleachers where most of his team were already sitting, nursing various bruises and a few bloody noses. He had seen a flash of black and red tennis shoes moving away from James. It must have been Pepito who saved him, but why? He watched the half demon gleefully slamming balls into the other kids, obviously reveling in the cries of pain and spatters of blood from noses. Not for the first time, Todd felt somewhat grateful to be friends with a creature of darkness.

Later in the changing rooms, Todd absentmindedly studied the growing grape fruit-sized bruise on his side. Noticing Pepito grinning at him from several lockers down, he quickly tugged his shirt down all the way and, closing his locker door, ducked to the water fountain for a drink to avoid recognition by James who walked by.

Pepito was waiting for him as he stepped out of the locker room and into the hallway.

"Sorry I was a little late there amigo, you ok?" genuine concern permeated his voice.

So it was Pepito who had prevented a broken nose and possible brain damage. "Thanks Pepi, I'm fine." He could not meet his friend's gaze. What had he ever done to deserve a friend like Pepito, unless of course the teen was still after his soul.

History went by uneventfully. Todd immersed himself in the incredibly flawed textbook, trying to ignore the lingering pain in his side, which flared up whenever he breathed. At least in this class the teacher never asked anyone to stand up to answer a question and he could just hide out in back under the poster declaring his textbook as the only God.

* * *

Todd knew he was in big trouble halfway through chemistry.

James was deathly silent through the entire period, and if the death glares being sent to Todd from James's girlfriend told him anything, it was that James had already created some version of P.E. class that blamed Todd for his tripping and missing the head shot.

Todd glanced at the clock, really regretting drinking so much water earlier. Squirming in his chair, he tried to focus on the equations they were supposed to be working on instead of his complaining bladder.

Five minutes passed.

A kid sitting in front of him got bored and decided to play with the sinks at the lab tables. The steady stream of water pattering at the bottom of the sink and swirling down the drain was too much. Todd raised his hand.

"Yes, Casil?" Mr. Sunburg drawled in monotone.

"Can I please have your permission to use the bathroom?" He worded his request carefully, doing his best to avoid the 'well, I sure hope you can' response some teachers thought was funny.

"Sure."

"Thanks." He scurried out of the room and down the hall to the freakishly filthy men's bathroom. Focusing on a few inches of clean-looking surfaces to avoid freaking out and carefully breathing through his nose, he tried not to vomit.

Stepping back out into the hall, wiping his mostly dry hands reflexively on his shirt, Todd looked up and froze. Now he really wished he had remembered to tuck a nice hardbound book in his shirt for protection. There was James, standing in the deserted hallway between him and the classroom. No escape.

"You and your creepy faggot friend thought that was funny back there in P.E. didn't you?" James cracked his knuckles, taking a step forward.

"N-no." Todd frantically shook his head, taking a step back to find himself pinned against a locker.

"Did too, you fucking whore, I'm gonna teach you a fucking lesson, you get that you fucking cocksucker?" James continued to advance until he was within punching distance. Then he struck.

Todd was knocked to the ground, the left side of his face exploding in pain, biting back a scream that he couldn't hold on to much longer as the jock proceeded to kick him hard in his already bruised ribs. Then adding new bruises to his arms and back. Another swift kick to the twice-damaged side had Todd yelling out in agony. James laughed.

"Hah, freaking pussy!"

"Didn't your mother tell you to not pick on kids smaller than you?" A familiar voice rang out close by.

Todd cracked open his right eye to see Pepito casually leaning against the lockers a few feet down the hall, face perfectly expressionless and calm. Deceptively calm, Todd noticed, as his right hand fisted behind his back was glowing with demonic energy that grew brighter every calm step Pepito took towards the bully who was recovering from his surprise.

Todd's eyes widened in fear, "P-Pepi, no…" he managed to get out weakly through the growing fog of pain.

Pepito stopped and gave Todd an unreadable look, the green glow dimmed, which is when James decided to strike.

"Fucking queers!" He yelled and swung his fist at Pepito's head.

The Anti-Christ was much too fast for the bulkier jock. With a quick side-step and a movement so fast it made Todd's head swim, he avoided James's lunge and used the bully's own momentum to drive his gut into Pepito's fist. The momentum of James's much heavier body also aided in his own defeat when Pepito grabbed his shoulders, kneed him in the groin, and sent him careening over into the lockers opposite of Todd. James slumped to the ground, moaning and clutching his crotch.

"Be thankful I didn't touch your face." Pepito stated so coldly it felt as if the room dropped in temperature, which seemed to return to normal as he turned and strode to crouch down in front of Todd, "Let's get you to the nurse."

The one eye that wasn't swollen shut widened to the point where it felt as if it might pop out of his head. Not the nurse. No doctors. Just no. Scenes from the D.H.M.I. flashed before his eyes and he shook his head, already starting to panic.

Pepito's face softened almost beyond belief, "I'm afraid you have no choice amigo."

Pepito moved out of his sight and Todd felt strong hands lifting him to his feet. A hand touched a bruise on his arm, he hissed in unexpected pain.

"Sorry."

"It's ok." He managed to croak as Pepito maneuvered his arm over his own shoulder for support. Todd gave a small start when Pepito's hand grabbed onto the waist of his pants to help hold him up, but a quick breath reminded him that the alternative would have been too painful.

Surprisingly, the whole fight hadn't attracted any students into the hallway and it was a very quiet walk to the nurse's office. Todd shuddered involuntarily and had to use all his self-control to not ball up into a quivering mess as he passed under the sign. He closed his eyes for the transition, pretending with all his might that it was the front office and he was just going to ask for a simple Band-Aid. Just the front desk. No doctors. Just a lady with a phone and some papers. Yes.

The nurse took one look at Todd, who had opened his eyes to stare at her in plain terror, and looked back to her cosmetics magazine.

Pepito growled and with obvious restraint in his voice, said, "Then get out and let me do it."

She hesitated, looking back up, but Pepito gave her a look that Todd thought meant he was using some kind of magical persuasion, and she grabbed her magazine in a daze and walked out the door. Pepito carefully moved Todd over to one of the cots before closing the door, locking it, and pulling down the shades. He turned back to Todd with that same unreadable expression that had become increasingly common lately.

Todd squirmed a little under the intense gaze.

"I've never done this before, but I'm pretty sure I know how." Pepito leaned down in front of him.

Those were not comforting words at all, and Todd flinched violently backwards as Pepito made as if to grab his arm. The taller boy's eyes immediately took on a look of pain and worry.

"You don't trust me?" He even sounded hurt.

Todd stilled. He had never seen his friend look hurt, ever. Now he was greatly conflicted. He didn't want to cause his best friend emotional pain, but he was terrified of anything medical, including medical magic, which he assumed was what Pepito was talking about. When Pepito reached again, slower this time, Todd let him though still letting his fear show plainly.

"It's ok amigo, just a simple healing spell. It won't hurt at all, I promise."

He waited as Todd relaxed more before gently turning over his arm and running his fingers over one of the smaller bruises.

Todd watched, first in nervousness, and then in both surprise and wonder. Pepito's fingers were impossibly warm and yet they did not burn as they slid gently over the bruise, leaving a patch of perfectly healed skin in its place along with lingering warmth. He had never seen Pepito so gentle and careful in his life. As the demon's touch repaired the capillaries under his skin, Todd found himself relaxing further and his gaze traveled from the healing bruises up to Pepito's face. The look there was one of concentration, mismatched eyes closed as he felt his way over Todd's damaged arm. Todd didn't want to break his concentration, so just assumed that Pepito was somehow sensing exactly where the damage was. He continued to watch in fascination as his friend finished that arm and found the next without opening his eyes. Warmth from the boy's ministrations was the most soothing thing Todd had ever felt. When Pepito lifted his hand from Todd's arm, the human boy found himself in a sort of daze, taking hold of that incredibly warm hand and guiding it to his swollen left eye. When the hand made contact, he almost sighed in pleasure as the heat seeped through his skin and he could feel the swelling subside. When the healing there was done, Pepito's hand lifted off, but Todd could feel it hovering above his face, emanating heat. Wait. Feeling only? He opened his eyes, not remembering when he had closed them, to find Pepito's eyes still shut and that look of concentration still there. When his voice came, it sounded a bit far away.

"Squee, you need to take off your shirt."

That statement broke the calm haze in Todd's mind. He tensed again and immediately regretted it as the pain in his side and back flared up once more. Shakily, he slowly slid his shirt off as Pepito withdrew his hand and rose to scoot around behind him on the cot, eyes still closed as if respecting Todd's privacy. Once the shirt was off, he felt that warm hand settle over the bruise that had yet to fully form on his back. He again eased into a relaxed state as the half-demon rubbed heat into his skin in slow circles. Starting at the edges of the bruise and moving in, increasing in pressure very slightly in the center. Then his hand ghosted down to Todd's left side where the worst damage had been done. Pepito's fingers barely brushed over the ever-darkening area before he gasped and snatched his fingers away.

"Oh, Todd."

The pain in Pepito's voice was so great, Todd turned to look at him and found something that made his heart skip a beat.

Two watery mismatched orbs gazed widely into his. If they hadn't been so watery or he hadn't been so open in facial expression, Todd wouldn't have figured out in that instant the unreadable look Pepito had been giving him for a while now, possibly years, was adoration. Possibly love.

He had little time to think on this revelation before Pepito closed his eyes again and pressed his forehead to Todd's shoulder, hand moving back to heal his side.

"He fractured your rib…" was whispered so quietly he could barely make it out.

The words had far less affect on him than the way in which they were said, with such regret.

"Wasn't your fault." Whispering seemed the right thing to do.

There was no verbal response from Pepito, but he slowly shook his head against Todd's shoulder. The pressure from his fingers increased as Todd guessed he must have been healing the bone as all the pain was sweeping away in a wash of heat. Todd figured he should probably be freaking out about finding out that Pepito might have feelings for him while the two of them were locked in a room with his shirt off, but the feeling of healing was leaving him in such a daze he couldn't find the brain capacity to fret about it just then.

Slowly, as if he was reluctant to, Pepito removed his hand from Todd's side and his head from his shoulders, looking at him with that same gaze as before.

Todd, acting on an impulse, leaned in and planted a very light kiss on Pepito's cheek, feeling immediately silly afterwards with a blush creeping up into his face. Now, quite possibly the most surprising thing of all happened, a small but widening smile crept up Pepito's face, reaching all the way to his eyes. It was the most sincere smile Todd had ever seen on anyone except Rosemary. He ogled it for the split second it was there because a moment later the scool bell rang and Pepito's head whipped around to automatically look at the clock on the wall.

He stood, and when he turned around the same guarded, mischievous, and crafty smirk was plastered on his face. The sudden change had Todd reeling.

"Better get your shirt back on amigo." The voice was back to the usual teasing tone, "Don't want to get caught by a teacher like that." He paused, "Listen, I've got this thing going on tonight and I won't be home until super late, so…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, I can spend the night at my parent's house, no problem." He surprised himself with how easily he too dropped into a speech pattern that acted as if nothing had happened. As Todd slipped his shirt back on and the two of them exited the nurse's office and went their separate ways, he began to question himself.

Maybe it hadn't.

* * *

As he watched Todd shuffle around the corner of the hall, Pepito let out a long sigh. That went better than he hoped it would. The frail-looking boy always intrigued him. That first day, so long ago, he had sensed only uselessness and selfishness and a life to nowhere from every kid in that kindergarten classroom, but Todd was different. That boy oozed a kind of purity Pepito had never encountered before. There was fear too of course, so much fear and trauma rolled off the kid in waves. But that was just it. They rolled _off_ him. At best, he could only ever get snatches, glimpses of people's souls as they walked around and almost everyone was a mash of dull gray boring energy of stupidness. What he could glimpse of Todd's was so very different. It fascinated him, this pure, glowing soul, bursting with intelligence and kindness through all the pain he suffered. Todd was the only human with a soul as pure as his own.

What started as pure curiosity, his friendship with little Squee, and a young hunger to own a soul, changed. He couldn't remember quite when it happened, but somewhere along the line he grew to sincerely care for his only true friend in the world. He liked having the other boy around, even found himself being attracted to him. It wasn't until recently he realized that he seriously liked Todd.

While driving home, he thought about how good it had felt to heal those bruises, to run his hands over the pale skin. He wanted to feel that again, feel that closeness. More. His fingers itched on the steering wheel. But he had to be so patient! The other teen was so fragile, so damaged by human touch that getting close to him and truly earning his trust seemed like an impossible task. Until today. Today Pepito felt he made a major breakthrough, getting the other boy to actually initiate physical contact at all was a feat, but he went so far as to kiss him! Pepito was internally bubbling with glee, but had to snuff down some of the excitement, remembering that he still had a long way to go if he was going to protect Todd from the bullies without being allowed to melt the flesh off their heads. Although some certainly deserved it, his little amigo didn't like it much.

He knew Zita and the others would probably be annoyed with him at the party, because this happy buzz would probably keep him from focusing on them, and he only really had wild sex to drown out loneliness anyway. He was feeling a little less lonely today.

* * *

Late that night, Todd lay wide-awake in his bed, the now silent Shmee clutched to his chest, reflecting on the day. So much happened between him and Pepito, but had it really? Could he have been reading the half-demon completely wrong the whole time? Was this just another part of a scheme to get his soul? Was Pepito really still after it? He is the Anti-Christ, it is his destiny to capture souls and bring about the end of days, when all shall die and only the faithful and good are allowed into heaven. But in that case, was he already cursed for hell? Todd was still more confused. He clutched Shmee tighter and allowed his body to flutter off into the world of horrors that plagued his dreams.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Sorry about the delay. Last week of classes here at school, so I was busy with stuff. Also, I wasn't sure how I wanted the second part of this chapter to pan out, so I eventually just sat down and let the characters write it :) So please tell me what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

They didn't speak of it again. Pepito never brought it up and Todd was too worried it wasn't real to ask. Another week went by and he noticed Pepito was going out to parties more and more, and in consequence Todd was sleeping less. Every night he spent at home was a night full of twisted nightmares, half-fabulous worlds where creatures of unfathomable horrors crept, crawling, scuttling, flapping, and oozing out of impossible geometries. He would wake often, reflexively biting his blanket to keep from screaming.

At scool it was not so bad. James didn't bug him much anymore. After seeing a miraculously healed Todd a day after the beating, the football player became fearful of Pepito and carefully avoided eye contact with either of them.

It was now around midnight on Saturday. Todd was twitching violently in his sleep.

_The fairgrounds were deserted. A biting breeze blew off the gently lapping waters of the beach. Sand crunched under his footsteps and driftwood, bleached by the sun like old bones, lay jumbled and broken at the high tide line. Drawing in a breath, he could smell the dead crabs and rotting seaweed mixed with peeling paint and faint burnt popcorn. A tattered and faded tent flapped eerily in the wind. Then movement. He saw a white horse, horn glued on its head, standing by the fairground fence. It shook its head and looked at him. He continued walking on the beach, now rounding the corner of a huge fallen tree. There was the horse again. It was now standing by the other end of the massive piece of driftwood, rubbing its head against its smooth sides. He felt the creature was trying to get the fake horn off. 'Do you want some help?' he wasn't sure if the words were verbal or mental, but the horse turned to look at him._

_ Suddenly, it was bounding towards him, and as its head swung to a stop mere feet from his head it was apparent that this creature was as dead as the circus it came from. Empty eye sockets stared out of a skeleton face, three bony horns now grew crookedly from the forehead. The thing pushed its face up against him; nudging his chest with exposed teeth, warm breath ghosting through his shirt. Reaching up, he set his fingers over the largest horn, gripping it tight and then pulling down. It came away from the head smoothly, the bone parting at the seams with the ease of rot. Now he reached up to the top horn. Its tip broke off in his hands and the second half came out like the first horn, leaving a similar dent in the skull. The third horn was smaller. It wouldn't all come out in one go. He had to dig his fingers around the moist rotten core of the horn, peeling it out of its cavity. He flung the mass away. Either he or the creature stepped back, bringing a few feet of distance between them again, before the thing's head began caving in. Starting at the empty cavities, the bone collapsed into itself. Wet-looking bone marred with brown, green, and purple rot turned to dust and blew away in the breeze._

Todd awoke with a start. Curling up into himself, he focused on evening out his breathing, eyes wide open. Every time he blinked he saw that creature's face caving in. With a final shudder, he got up and padded down the stairs. Might as well get a bit of cleaning done before heading to work.

He had to get there early for a staff meeting. For some unknown reason, the 24.7 had a Departmental Unification Management Business group that required all stores in the chain to have monthly meetings. They were a bore. Todd sat through the D.U.M.B. meeting silently, trying to avoid looking at his boss who absentmindedly scratched an infected looking growth on his neck every two minutes.

Finally, his shift began at 1:00am. As usual, there were no customers waiting as he took his place behind the counter. The man who had the shift before him waved to Todd lazily as he left.

"Don't forget to turn off the brainfreezy machine at two." He drawled.

Todd nodded noncommittally. He never turned the thing off when he was on duty. One time the scary neighbor man told him about how he had killed a man who wouldn't give him one of the frozen drinks. Though he hadn't seen the maniac in years, he wasn't going to chance it.

Half an hour went by. Pulling out his notebook, he spread it on the counter between the plastic roses and beef jerky, writing out his dream from the point of view of the zombie unicorn.

The door chime, followed by a loud shout of "Squee! How's it going?" almost makes him fall over in fright, dropping his pencil under the counter in the process.

"P-Pepito, what are you doing here?" He asks shakily, retrieving his pencil.

The half-demon strides up to lean on the counter, "I saw your sign for Senior Salsa chips and just had to get some. Do they really make you pee fire? I have to see that."

Great. Pepito was drunk. He was hard enough to deal with sober, but drunk Pepito could be anywhere from exacerbating to downright terrifying. Todd hoped today would be the former.

"Did you really want some?" he asked his tipsy friend.

"Nah, just wanted to drop by and say hello. HELLO!" He shouted the last part in Todd's face.

He cringed.

"Maybe I'll have a brainfreezy though," he said, looking thoughtful, "What flavors do you have?"

"Um, frosty peanut, cherry doom, and icy ham."

"… Nevermind. Maybe a chili-wanker?"

Todd was about to tell him those things tended to cause bowel discomfort when he glanced over Pepito's shoulder and froze, eyes wide in shock.

"…Uh, amigo? Hello?" pepito waved his hand in front of the other teen's face.

Todd turned to the taller boy, his face more serious than usual, "Pepi, hide behind the counter now please."

"What?" Confusion painted his face.

He looked out the window again, "Now, Pepi."

Though the order was in a soft tone, something about the look of fear on Todd's face made Pepito do as he said.

The Anti-Christ dropped down behind the counter and scooted under it. There was barely enough room for him to sit with his knees to his chest. Seconds later the door chimed again and loud footsteps filled the room, which had only a moment ago been silent except for the buzzing of equipment and lights.

"Holy fucking God, is that you Squeegee? It's been a few years hasn't it?"

Todd gulped. Johnny. Johnny was back and at his work and Pepito was under the table. This was not good. He nodded affirmation at Nny's statement, trying to look like he wasn't having a panic attack.

The crazy man's attention soon flew to the brainfreezy machine, his gaunt frame sliding over to it with surprising swiftness. "Yes, cherry doom is just the thing! Good thing you're not stupid Squeegee and this thing is still on. You know that sometimes idiots turn it off? They do. Have I told you about the time that guy, that one fucking stupid guy, got what was coming to him, he did, did I ever tell you what I did to him?" He turned a deranged looking eye to Todd.

"Uh, um, yeah. I think you did." He was almost quaking now with fear. Surprisingly enough the weight of the altar boy of doom slumped against his legs was a little comforting, keeping him from bolting or wetting himself or doing anything else that might set off the homicidal side of the crazy man before him.

"Okey dokey then." Johnny dropped and handful of bills and coins down on the counter and slid back out the door with his drink, practically skipping down the street.

Todd let out a huge sigh of relief. "Ok Pepi, you can come out now."

"…Pepi?"

He looked under the table to find his friend sleeping almost curled around his feet. A small smile broke out on his face; the son of Satan was almost cute like that. Wait, that can't be. He shook the thought from his head, reaching down to shake the larger boy's shoulder.

"Pepito, I can't carry you, you need to wake up."

Pepito groaned, but opened his eyes and struggled a bit to get up off the filthy floor. Todd helped him stand and slung his arm over his shoulder to help him outside.

After sliding the drowsy half-demon into the back seat of his own car (he embarrassingly had to fish the keys out of the other's pocket), Todd returned to behind the counter to finish his shift, keeping the keys so his friend wouldn't try to drive anywhere if he woke up.

* * *

Pepito woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. At least he was in his own room, but how did he get there? Ignoring a comforting whine from Woofles, he popped a couple of aspirin in his mouth, downing it with a glass of water left on his nightstand. Flopping back on the soft pillow, he tried to remember what happened.

Right. He had gone to another party to drown his feelings in mindless drink. Todd hadn't initiated any more physical contact after that day in the nurse's office and he worried that he had somehow scared off his friend. It felt like one step forward, one step back. Like he hadn't really gotten anywhere. Like maybe it hadn't even happened. Wait. There was a nagging feeling that he was missing something. So he went to the party, got drunk, then it was a bit blurry, then driving. He remembers driving somewhere. Todd was there! He drove to Todd's work? More fuzziness. Then warmth. Todd again? A smell comes to memory, definitely Todd. So Todd had taken him home? He suddenly panicked. Did he say anything? Shoot, was his mom mad at him for coming home drunk?

Pepito almost sprung out of bed, but with the first jerky half-movement it turned into more of a flop-roll onto the floor, his head reeling with pounding pain. Bad idea. Slowly he got to his feet and changed into fresh clothes that didn't smell so much like alcohol and… Todd? He sniffed the shirt again. Yep, he had been leaning on his friend at some point. Hopefully it was for support while walking and not a drunken attempt at groping the other teen. He sighed, figuring he'd find out on Monday at scool.

He made his way downstairs where he could hear his mother preparing a late morning breakfast, as she always did after church. He still couldn't quite understand how the woman could keep her faith when married to Satan himself, but humans were strange creatures indeed.

"Good morning sweetie! Feeling better? Todd brought you back in quite a state last night. You haven't been dragging him to all those horrible parties have you?" His mother spoke cheerily, but with a serious undertone. She was not happy.

Pepito gulped, "No mother, I don't go with Todd to parties. I went to his house last night because I didn't want to drive home drunk." Nice save, he thought.

"Oh good, I'm glad you're being responsible with at least that. Poor dear looked worried about you though, he had to practically drag you up to the door. You really should be more careful."

He nodded absently and sat down to eat the delicious looking pancakes set out on the table. Todd was worried about him? Was that a sign of progress with their relationship, or just a friendship thing? For once Pepito wished he had other real friends so he could compare normal behavior to what went on between him and Todd. Part of him leaped for joy again with the knowledge that the fearful teen had once again initiated physical contact with him. Well, he thought Todd initiated it. Maybe. The joy seeped down again, and he stabbed at a piece of pancake.

* * *

Pepito arrived to Hi Scool late Monday morning, so couldn't drop by Todd's first period class to say hi. By lunch, he was beginning to worry. His group greeted him cheerily as he approached them in the far corner of the library, their rainy day hangout. The librarian was practically brain-dead and no one ever really came in here, much less all the way in the back by the science fiction and fantasy section. With a glance, Pepito noted that it looked like Todd had already begun separating out the two genres and properly alphabetizing them.

"Have you guys seen Squee today?" he asked them, sounding as casual as possible.

"No."

"Nope."

"Unfortunately not."

He internally stiffened at Dekker's suggestive response.

"Sorry, no. Maybe he's sick or something?" Zita looked sympathetic at whatever imaginary plight she may be thinking of.

"Hmm, yeah probably." He made a mental note to check up on his friend later. Todd usually wouldn't skip scool even if he were sick.

"Sooo…" A new girl to the group piped up, "What, like, happened at the end of the party?"

With that, the conversation drifted back to the usual topics.

* * *

Todd sat on his bed, back to the wall, quivering with his knees pulled up tight to his chest. Crusty tracks of dried salt ran from red and swollen eyes, ending with splatters on worn out pajama pants. His body shook with silent sobs though his face remained staring straight ahead at a poster on the wall.

Smile! Even though your life is miserable. That's what it said. What a lie. For a moment, Todd hated that sign, wanted to tear it from the wall and deposit it in little shreds into the garbage can, but he couldn't bring himself to move. His body felt frozen, drained, empty. No more tears ran and his mouth was dry and even his skin felt drawn out, stretched over his bones like his emaciated neighbor. So he sat there, staring at the poster, sore muscles refusing to give up the fight to breathe. His fault. All his fault.

He was so far gone a loud but distant banging on the door didn't even make him flinch. The poster was mocking him. Then came a voice drifting in from outside his window. It was familiar, but he couldn't bring himself to pick out the words over the pounding of rain against the panes. Oh, it was raining, how fitting, he thought bitterly. Water falling from the sky carrying who knows how much atmospheric bacteria to cover everything in its cold biofilm. The voice came again, louder this time, and still he didn't move.

Then something tapped at his window, making his head snap around, it wasn't Nny was it? No, the figure silhouetted by the orange glow of the streetlamps was neither tall nor skinny enough to be the scary man who so frequently visited Todd's room when he was younger. As the figure shifted to open the window he saw it was a different homicidal maniac. Pepito.

* * *

Getting no answer when he knocked on Todd's front door, Pepito walked through the wet grass around to the side of the house. Standing under Todd's window he shouted up at the dark. No answer. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he could feel that Todd was indeed there, so why wasn't he answering?

Now soaking wet from the heavy rain, Pepito sighed and took hold of the drainage pipe that trailed up the side of the house, climbing up it with just a bit more than human ease. Luckily Todd's window had quite a wide ledge on the outside, so he could perch there. He called again. Still there was no response through the dark panes. Because of the light behind him, all he could see was his reflection, dark hair dripping and clinging to his forehead. Only Todd was worth this much trouble, he told himself.

Wedging his fingers under the edge of the loosely sealed window, Pepito pushed it open to sit in the open window, legs dangling into the room. Now he could see Todd staring at him from the bed.

"Hey amigo, you weren't at scool today." Something was wrong. Pepito took in the trembling figure, curled into himself with puffy red eyes and tear tracks down his face, and was suddenly filled with a strong desire to comfort the boy as well as boiling anger towards whoever caused this, wishing to rip them apart with his hands as slowly as possible. He paused before entering the room. That pang of sympathy driving him to comfort was still new, and it confused him a little that it was getting stronger every time he saw Todd getting hurt. When he was honest with himself, it scared him a bit that the feeling seemed able to drown out his natural desire to cause immediate pain and destruction.

Shaking the feeling off, he slipped silently to the floor and closed the window behind him, turning the roar of the rain into a dull rumble.

"What's wrong Squee? Did someone hurt you again?" His voice was filled with underlying aggression. Good. But as he moved towards his friend, the smaller teen curled into himself tighter and moved away to the corner of his bed.

"No." His voice was muffled, face pressed into his knees.

Pepito stopped moving forwards, "Then what?" he was confused.

Todd shook his head.

"Squee, I can't help if I don't know what's wrong." Patience was not his virtue, but he could try.

"Nothing you can do." The end of that sentence was almost whispered and his body began to shake again with more silent sobs.

When Pepito saw the shine of fresh tears down Todd's cheek, his patience snapped. "Todd, tell me what's wrong, now!" He almost shouted at his friend, "…Please."

The volume and that last please seemed to do the trick, as a stream of almost incoherent words now poured from Todd.

"It's all my fault, all of it. I ruined their lives; they never wanted me, they could have been happy if they never had me. They would have good jobs and be happy and wouldn't drink and none of this would have happened and I just wish I were never born so this wouldn't have happened. Maybe if I was a better son, if I wasn't so crazy and stupid and if I was normal, they would have loved me and we could have been happy and she wouldn't have… and he wouldn't drink and have a better job and it's all my fault he watches that video backwards, I've _seen_ him and maybe I should have stayed there, in that place. If I stayed there they could have gotten better, forgotten about me and gotten better, then this wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have taken so many for so long and today is even the anniversary of the start of the bad stuff. Because of me she… she's… It's all my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all my fault. Pepito, please just kill me, it's all my fault and I can't live with myself anymore!" At that last bit he trailed off into loud sobbing, falling on his side and curled up so small he looked like a ten year old again.

Pepito stood there stunned, dripping on the rug. His heart was pulling at him, an immediate visceral need to rush to his friend and bundle the other boy in his arms, to cuddle him and stroke his hair and tell him everything was ok. He wanted to tell Todd to not be sad and lonely because he loved him. Shit. Mulling over the new thought in his head, Pepito found he couldn't deny it. But he had to push the feeling back right now. That last sentence the other teen said was worrying and needed to be addressed immediately. He had to get some sense back into his friend.

"Squee, if you are saying what I think you're saying, it was not your fault." His voice and face were firm, "Can you please explain in more detail what happened, or am I going to have to read your mind?"

Todd's eyes widened with a hint of fear. Fuck, he hadn't meant to scare him. The mind-reading thing was supposed to be a joke.

Pepito sat on the floor, "I'm not going to read your mind amigo, just tell me what happened."

Todd refused eye contact, looking at the wall, "I found her this morning… the… the pill bottles were all empty and…" Sniff, "… and sh-she was c-cold, to the touch. I called the paramedics, but it was too late. I was too late…" He trailed off into quiet sobs.

Pepito scooted over to the bed, reaching his hand out across the covers to grasp one of Todd's hands. He tried to find a balance between a firm and gentle grip in order to not further scare his only friend. "It's really not your fault." It was all he could say.

When Todd returned his gesture with a light squeeze, Pepito smiled. Everything was going to be ok. He didn't let go of Todd's hand though, resigning himself to sitting on the floor and comforting his friend. Todd's shuddering breaths slowly began to even out and slow down. Eventually, Pepito looked over to see the skinny teen sleeping soundly. He smiled, resting his own head against the edge of the bed. Telling himself that staying to make sure his friend didn't commit suicide tonight seemed like a good enough cover to stay right where he was. He drifted off to dreamlessness.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **__This story is now rated M! Trigger warning: rape scene ahead. I originally planned to finnish up in one last chapter, but I got this far, realized I was probably only about halfway done, and decided to cut it off here. Next chapter will be the last._

_Oh man, that was so hard to write. Next chapter will be full of much more happy stuff, I promise!_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The funeral was a minimal affair. Todd felt horrible that he couldn't provide enough funds for more than the bare minimum of a service, and he had practically starved himself for a week to save up more money. Now he watched silently from his father's side as the plain casket was lowered into the ground. So few people came. It was basically him, his father, and a few relatives he never knew he had. Plus, he thought maybe a couple of the people there were just dropping by to see if there was any free food, especially that girl over there eating a sticker off a water bottle. As it was time to shovel the ceremonious first bits of dirt into the hole, a warm hand on his shoulder reminded Todd of Pepito's presence. The half-demon volunteered to come as emotional support, and so far was surprisingly providing it.

Todd stepped out from under the shade of the tree, squinting in the sunlight, and dumped his shovelful into the grave. Then he and everyone else turned away.

Pepito followed him silently for a few minutes before speaking, "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"It's not your fault either Squee, you know she practically hated you right?"

He rounded on Pepito, "I know she didn't like me Pepito! She never wanted to have me in the first place! Neither of my parents wanted me! I was a curse to them! I ruined their lives just by being born! At least your parents wanted you." The last part was almost a whimper as his shoulders slumped and he brought his arms around himself in a sad attempt at self-comfort.

Todd was startled into letting out a short squee as he felt warmth envelope him. Pepito was hugging him close, Todd's arms trapped between their chests.

"I'm sorry amigo, I always say the wrong thing."

Todd was stunned. No one had ever hugged him besides Rosemary. Ever. He had no idea what to do, so just decided to stand there until it was over, though the gesture was pretty comforting, and Pepito's warmth was helping to stave off the chill of the cool wind.

"Usually when people are hugged, they hug back." The light smirk was back in Pepito's voice.

Slowly, Todd extricated his arms from between them, awkwardly shifting them around his friend's back. Then Pepito tightened his hold, pulling Todd up under his chin. For some reason the close contact brought up a great big bubble of pent up pain in him, and he found himself uncontrollably clutching at the back of Pepito's shirt, clinging to it desperately, pressing his face into the taller boy's shoulder. Though no tears or sobs came, he stood like that for a time, a small part of him amazed that Pepito was letting him do this for so long. Another tiny part of him in the back of his brain was reminding him of the looks the other teen had been giving him still when he thought he wasn't looking.

Slowly, he let go and pulled away, wiping at nonexistent tears awkwardly to give his hands something to do since he found himself wanting to go right back to clutching at his friend. Now he was confusing himself, he did only want to be friends with Pepito, right? He didn't want his soul to be taken or to be cursed forever, but increasingly he was getting this funny feeling in his stomach every time he was near Pepito, like he was nauseous, but different. Less bad somehow, and it wasn't quite like he was going to throw up, instead of chills it was always accompanied by a warm feeling. It was weird, but not too unpleasant. It kind of spooked him that his body seemed to have a mind of its own.

Strong fingers slipped into his own for the second time, bringing him out of his thoughts. Todd glanced up at Pepito as the son of Satan lead him out of the cemetery. The look on his face was again unreadable, but in a blank sort of way, as if he was trying to hide whatever he was thinking about. Todd didn't question him about it, just followed him to the dark red car waiting for their return from the parking lot.

* * *

Todd had hugged him! Really hugged him! Well, it was more like a strange clinging-in-desperation kind of hug, and Pepito himself initiated it, but Todd didn't run away and even allowed him to hold his hand after! Pepito felt like roaring his happiness to sky. Every bit closer he was allowed to get to the fearful teen was a small victory for his growing feelings. He felt that finally, maybe, Todd saw him as possibly being more than a friend. He wasn't sure how the other would respond to his uncontrollable impulse to hold him close, but the response was positive and it increased his hope that Todd could shed his fear.

Just as he was thinking of Todd, the skinny male in question walked by in the hallway on his way to class.

"Hey Squee." He flashed a friendly smile.

"Hello Pepi." Todd returned the smile.

Pepito grinned as he turned back to his locker. He really was turning into a love-sick fool wasn't he? In the past week since the funeral, Todd was recovering well and going on about his life much as he had before. Pepito did the best he could to be supportive without being overly obvious in his adoration of the smaller boy, refusing all party invitations on weeknights so Todd could stay over at his house and get plenty to eat since he knew the other was still paying off the funeral parlor and the cemetery. Of course, it was a selfish want too. He craved having Todd sleep next to him at night, even if they never touched. His steady breathing and that glimmer of a beautiful soul at rest was comforting to the boy who spent his whole life so far training to bring nothing but pain to humans.

The bell rang, and he slid quickly into class, claiming his seat next to Zita.

"Hey Pepi, so what are you planning to do for your birthday next week?" She smiled suggestively.

"Well, I have this big thing with my family on my actual birthday, so I was thinking on Saturday night this upcoming weekend I'd rent a hotel and invite practically everyone." He smirked.

She smiled gleefully, a smile that held just a hint of predatory instincts, which is what attracted Pepito to her in the first place. Though now he found it paled in comparison to that little pure smile of happiness Todd graced him with every once in a while.

"Are you inviting Squee too? I know he never goes to any of the other parties, but this is your birthday. And it would probably be good for him to go, everyone would probably think he was less of a weirdo, and he could loosen up a bit."

He almost laughed at that last remark. Todd would do anything but loosen up at a party. But then he thought about it, "Maybe. It probably would be good for him to get out more. I'll ask him."

"You sound like you'll give him a choice in the matter," She chuckled.

He glared, "I will. He is my friend you know."

Now she looked confused. "But, I thought you were after everyone's servitude, no matter how pathetic they are."

He twitched, hiding his flare of anger at her insult, smoothing it over with a fake evil smirk, "Oh, I'm just taking the long road with him. I'll get him to sign himself to me eventually."

* * *

Todd waited quietly until the rest of the students shoved their way out the door, pushing and bleating like sheep. There was no way he was going to risk getting trampled just to go to lunch a fraction of a second earlier than someone else. Besides, he was headed to the library again today anyway. It was too cold outside for his thin jacket.

As he stepped into the library he could hear Pepito and Zita chatting in the back. Shortly before he rounded the bookshelf to the corner their voices stopped. Then when he could see them he wished he didn't. Ugh, they were practically sucking each other's faces off. He coughed politely.

Pepito was the first to pull away from the embrace, though Zita stayed sitting on his lap. "Hey amigo."

"Hi Squee." Zita acknowledged his presence.

"Hi." He sat down in a chair at the table and pulled out another delightful sack lunch made by Rosemary, shuffling through it to pull out the sandwich. He started to sort through a pile of books while chewing.

"Squee, what do you think about coming to my birthday party on Saturday? You could take the night off of work."

Todd was a little bit confused, "What? Sex, drugs, and rock and roll?" He smiled a bit, realizing how silly that sounded only after it was out of his mouth.

Apparently the Anti-Christ thought it was funny too, because he burst into laughter loud enough to get a distant-sounding shush from the librarian. "Yes, and there'll be drinking too, but it really isn't that hard to avoid those things if you want. Well, you can't avoid the music that easily, but it will be fun."

"I don't know Pepi, parties really aren't my thing…"

Zita joined in, "Oh, come on Squee, how do you know if you've never tried it? Besides, if you show up there like everyone else people will think you're a little less weird."

He didn't miss the slightly annoyed look Pepito flashed her, through Zita obviously didn't see it.

"Well…"

"Please amigo? It is my birthday." Pepito smiled.

Dang that smile. Todd was finding it harder to resist the more he saw it. He sighed, "Ok."

Pepito's smile turned into a grin.

Then Dekker and the rest of the gang strolled in.

"Sorry we're so late, Lucian here thought you guys would be outside because it's sunny out." Dekker glared at the annoyed looking teen.

"It's where we always sit on sunny days!" Lucian retorted.

"Yeah, but it did, like, rain really hard yesterday, so everything is still like wet." Samantha supported.

After that, Todd tuned out the conversation. Thinking about having to go to Pepito's party filled him with dread. He didn't have to go to one to know he wouldn't like it. Just thinking about so many people he didn't really know crammed into a small space - with music blaring and everyone being drunk or high, or both, the _smell_ – made him shrink into himself more. But there was no getting out of it now. If Todd was anything, he was true to his word. He made the promise, so he would have to face the unpleasantness.

* * *

Pepito was starting to think it might have been a bad idea to invite Todd to the party. The other teen was quieter than usual when Pepito had picked him up earlier to drive to the hotel. It still seemed ok as they entered the lobby of The Pickled Inn, as they were early to make sure the reservation still held and to check in with the person at the desk. Pepito made sure to add a bit more persuasion magic to get the staff to leave so it would be possible to openly serve drinks to minors. He had grinned at Todd as the boy watched the staff leave in a daze. The lobby was quiet for the next fifteen minutes it took for the first batch of people he invited to get there with the food, drinks, and music system, taking another half hour to set up. He watched Todd carefully the whole time, taking note of how the skinny teen slowly relaxed more with the very small crowd, though he continued to sit silently in a chair that had been pushed off to the side.

As the official start time for the party went by, more and more Hi Scoolers flowed into the room, filling it with noise. Pepito relished in all the fresh meat, instantly throwing himself fully into greeting everyone and setting up people with strong drinks. His father would be proud if he could get more than half the souls in the room tonight, and he felt completely up to the challenge. Out of the corner of his eyes he checked up on Todd every few minutes, each time his friend was still standing by one of the walls, refusing offered drinks and fidgeting awkwardly. Pepito decided he would let him get used to the atmosphere a bit more before trying to draw him in to any group conversations.

As the party grew more rowdy, which it did almost surprisingly quickly with this crowd, he was more and more preoccupied with chatting up his guests, Zita hanging off one arm. Then he looked around to glance again at Todd and was hit by a pang of worry. Zita was immediately forgotten as he wordlessly separated himself from her and pushed into the crowd, looking.

Where was he?

* * *

Todd watched the other guests starting to filter into the hotel lobby with trepidation. The set-up crew was mostly Pepito's core group of followers, but this incoming mass looked to be half the student body. He recognized some faces seen before in the hallways and classrooms, but it was still unnerving to be stuck in a building with them at night when he could see many of them were coming in already influenced by drugs or alcohol.

So he stuck to the wall, using it as a shield against his back. This way he could visually fend off the growing number of teens. Luckily most ignored him as if he was part of the hideous wallpaper.

One girl actually cam up to him, and he was confused until he noticed the almost empty cup in her hand and the weird stumble to her step.

"You're that guy that followz Pepito around, righ?" She slurred.

Now Todd recognized her as the girl who always ate nothing but Nutraflow for lunch. He had spent too many hours staring at the stuff in the refrigerated goods section of the 24.7. Nutraflow: for people who like their yoghurt a little more stringy. Yuck. Though he was aware that not eating the cafeteria food (or making it pass through your system too fast) probably made her a little bit less zombified. Then he came to the conclusion that she was probably never all that bright to begin with as she spoke again.

"Sho, you wanna dance or somethin'?" She moved her hips in what she probably thought was a provocative way, but just made her resemble one of those dashboard hula dolls.

"No thanks." He had to shout to be heard over the suddenly blaring music from the band Nine-Inch-Heels.

She shrugged sloppily and sauntered off.

The noise was starting to make his head hurt. Looking around, Todd spied a hallway over to the side leading to rooms with key cards hanging off the handles. It would probably be quieter in there. Slowly he made his way over to the hall, hugging the wall and dodging drunken teens. The hall itself wasn't completely empty. A couple stood kissing and groping each other in the far corner, oblivious to the world around them. A few of the rooms had no key card hanging off the handle, and Todd cringed away from the gross noises he could hear from within.

Finally he chose an unoccupied room about two thirds of the way down the corridor, sliding the key card through the reader and entering the room. He was right; it was much quieter in here, though the music from outside still blared loudly to his gently throbbing skull. Leaving the door unlocked, he wandered over to sit on the edge of the bed, hands nervously twitching. He wished he'd brought his notebook. Resolved to waiting out the party so he could probably escort a nearly passed-out Pepito home again, Todd sat and watched a doomed fly buzz frantically around the ceiling light.

Suddenly, the door was almost slammed open, making Todd jump in surprise and stare in a deer-in-the-headlights sort of way at the intruder.

It was Dekker, and Todd felt himself tense with fear at the other boy's body language. He was half tilted over, squinting through drug-clouded eyes.

"I though I sah ya go in huh." He broke into laughter that brought an unpleasant chill to Todd's spine.

"Thin you coud avoid meh foreveh Squeh? Yuh and yuh damn self alwuhs _tempten_ meh."

Todd's eyes widened even further, he felt frozen to the spot in fear. Dekker was blocking his only escape and the guy was quite a bit larger than him. Dekker stumbled forward a bit, and Todd finally found the strength to stand, trying to edge away from the bed to circle around the intoxicated teen.

That was when Dekker lunged. Todd let out a strangled yelp as the heavier weight shoved him back onto the bed.

"Uh no yah don, yeh _mine."_ The last word was practically a growl as Dekker roughly grabbed Todd's arms, pinning them up above his head as he crawled up onto the bed over Todd's struggling form.

Todd let out a loud stream of "no"s as he felt the suffocating weight of the larger boy settle over him, trapping him completely. Dekker brought his other hand to Todd's throat, pressing down until all that would come out was a frightened gurgle as he struggled to breathe, tears streaming down his face. Figuring he got his point across, Dekker moved his hand roughly down Todds side, reaching the waistband of his pants.

Todd jerked away as much as he could, renewing his struggling with vigor. "NOOOO!" he screamed, "NOOOOOOO!" His throat felt raw.

"Shuddup!" Dekker yelled. He yanked Todd's jeans down to his thighs.

Todd cried out in pain, which was quickly cut off into a wheezing gurgle as Dekker once again closed his free hand over his windpipe in a choking hold.

"I sai shaddup!"

* * *

Worry gnawed at his innards as Pepito worked his way through the crowd, looking for Todd. He knew his friend probably wouldn't chance leaving the safety of the walls for the middle of the room. But there was no sign of him. Then he took notice of the hallway. Ah. The noise level was probably too much for him and he just slipped away to someplace quieter. No big deal. But why was some uneasiness still crawling around in his gut? He made his way to the mostly empty hallway and stood there a moment, closing his eyes. Focus. Dull gray souls flickered all around him, made duller by the drugs and alcohol, base emotions swirled in the air. Then he reached a bit farther, focusing on the one soul he was looking for. There it was, nearby, just as he thought, but as he focused on it he got the sudden, wrenching impression of absolute terror.

Todd was in terror. A fear he didn't know he could feel gripped Pepito, propelling him down the hallway. Slamming open the door, he was momentarily stunned by the sight before him, anger rising to an uncontrollable boiling of his blood.

Dekker was pinning Todd to the bed, one hand bruising his wrists and the other unzipping his own pants. Todd was looking in Pepito's direction, but obviously not really seeing, his eyes so wide they looked like they might pop out of his head and red with tears, his face was a blank, withdrawn from feeling as his body still trembled under the weight of the other teen.

Pepito roared, an inhuman sound that had Todd's face twitching towards him as he pounced across the room, putting all his demon strength to digging his clawed hand into Dekker's chest, right under the ribcage, and tearing him off Todd, smashing him into the far wall. Dekker hit with a smack, head cracking into the wall, but leaving no blood behind. Pepito, still growling, approached the prone form, focused on the need to rip the boy's chest cavity open and tear his beating heart out.

A quiet whimper from behind stopped him. Todd. His Todd needed help. He turned, sparking energy dying around his claws, and carefully approached his friend.

Todd had managed to pull his own pants back up, but was now sitting in a daze, arms wrapped tightly around the legs pulled protectively up to his chest. He whimpered again, tears still leaking slowly from his unblinking eyes. He didn't seem to really see Pepito as he came closer, cautiously. The protectiveness in Pepito had taken over, he was running on pure instinct now, wrapping himself partially around the other boy, he drew upon what magic he could remember and teleported them to safety. His room. His place. His human would be safe here. And that was the last conscious thought he had before slipping entirely into feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **So sorry it took so long to finish this up!

Also, I don't think I've done a disclaimer for this story, whoops! Well, obviously almost all characters and settings/world belongs to Jhonen Vasquez. Only the character Dekker belongs to me (and I don't want him) and all dream sequences are mine. The dream sequences all come directly from this one super weird dream I had (it was quite a bit longer than what I wrote of it here, but I edited out bits that wouldn't make sense for Todd's character, like the horseback riding parts and the part where the giant snake was actually subdued).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_He wasn't sure what was real any more. Another boy's hands pawed at him, choked him. Something roared. Copper tang of blood, a smell he could taste. Warmth. Darkness. Clarity came with a breath of cool breeze, a murmur of waves lapping at the shore. An old fairground loomed over the edge of a sandbank. People. There were people sitting and standing around amongst the driftwood. They began to notice him and stood slowly, walking._

_ They neared and he saw tattered Hawaiian print shirts hung over jutting bones. They were silent, coming towards him, but a low murmur of feeling drifted around, pointing at him like their empty eye sockets. Scraps of desiccated flesh held them together. The murmur was accusing. It was his fault. Someone destroyed them and they sought revenge. No, it wasn't me, I didn't do anything. One stood out, its murmur different, faded shirt brighter than the others. Gleeful. It was gleeful for the revenge, not empty like the others. Them! It was them, not me! They did this to you. That one there. Groping hands reached for him, skimming his clothing, but then slowing and turning towards the one. They knew now, pressing in around them, the other so close to him and the crowd now ignoring him but for how long. Fear pulsed from the one, it stared straight at him now, anger bubbling up, and an accusing finger pointed his way. He backed out of the closing crowd, stumbling up the beach over shifting stones and sand._

_ A group of people greeted him, strangers but familiar somehow. Lunchtime, they said, sitting on the grass, watching the ocean. He sat amongst them. These people were friendly, safe, laughing. A shape moved up behind a man. A snake, huge, head as big as Todd's own. He pointed, told them to look out, but no one saw it. He yelled. Finally the man and others looked around, people started screaming, backing away, but too slowly, they were all too slow! He had to do something, had to keep it from biting. It was poisonous. Jumping forward, he landed his hands right on the snake's snout, holding its jaws closed with all his might. The thing squirmed under him. He needed more weight on it. The others were starting to step closer again as he yelled for them to help him, help him pin it down. Some grabbed uselessly at the body, too squeamish to latch on tight. Shifting, he moved his weight so he was sitting on the snake's head; he needed more weight to pin it down. He wasn't heavy enough. Shouting and gesturing with his head he got a fat man over to him. Standing quickly and pushing the man down to sit on the animal's head he told him not to let it go, keep its mouth shut. He needed to find something to tie it shut with. Looking back, he saw the man carelessly let the snake's head slip out beneath him. No! How could he be so stupid! The snake lunged forward and bit a woman in the leg. She yelped and fell down, crawling away backward as the snake loomed again. Too late, too late. The poison would kill her anyway. They were too stupid, scrabbling uselessly at its body. He had to get away, had to run._

_ Some ran with him. The trail was a dirt path leading through a tropical forest. The trail ended suddenly with a gaping chasm, a pool of water at the bottom. No way around. Too far to jump across. Something ghosted by in the waters below. Then it breached, a strange hideous shark, with mouth taking up about half its length. It dove again. We can make it if we use the rocks, someone said, and everyone followed them down, jumping from one floating rock to the next, down to a rocky shore by the water. _

_ It wasn't a shark anymore. Two strange creatures crawled slowly up the beach towards them. He ran, following the others into cracks between the rocks, turning into caves and then rounding a bend to take shelter under a concrete overhang, blocking them off from the water though he could still see the creatures lumbering, searching, on either side. Two small skeletons sat huddled together in the corner, he briefly wondered if that was to be his fate as well. A man sat next to him and a teenaged girl across from him. She knelt, holding a mass that looked like a larger than normal brain. It dripped thick red fluid. It's going to be ok, she said, the rest of it was born too, just came out earlier, that's all._

_ The creature to the left was getting closer, sniffing them out maybe. The man told him to follow, and he did, making a break for it to the right, out into the open. He couldn't see the other creature. They paused by a log, and suddenly the second monster crawled up out of the water, slick tail dragging on the ground, looking straight at them with large eyes. He knew. He knew it was going to get them. No escaping this time. He and the man backed up against the log, sitting on the ground, as the thing loomed closer. He steeled himself for the inevitable. It would only take one gulp. He closed his eyes._

Adrenaline jolted his system. His eyes snapped open with the image of the creature burned into his retina, flashing before him when he blinked. Taking a quick stock of all his senses, Todd slowly realized that he was now awake. That had been a dream, though he remembered every second of it so vividly. Now that he felt he had complete control over his motor functions again, he twitched his fingers in the dim light, figuring out where he was. Sheets. There were sheets wrapped around his legs. Nice sheets. So, Pepito's room then. Turning over he could see the half-demon laying beside him in the large bed, sound asleep, without any of the covers over him. He was wearing normal daytime clothing. That's weird. Todd looked down at himself, so was he. Why?

Then it trickled back to him. Last night. The party. Oh god, no. Panic gripped him once again as fresh tears threatened to spill. Shaking, he drew his knees up to his chest, sitting up in the bed.

His pained whimpering must have woken Pepito, because the other boy stirred and shifted. Todd's breath hitched and he stopped breathing as he felt Pepito curl lightly around his lower back from behind. It took a moment before he forced himself to breathe again, Pepito unmoving with his face next to Todd's feet. He reminded himself that Pepito had never hurt him, that he wasn't hurting him now, and that if he remembered correctly it was Pepito who saved him last night.

He looked down at the son of Satan curled around him, still asleep. So he hadn't woken him then. Slowly, Todd stretched out his legs over the side of the bed. He felt like he needed to take a long shower, to scrub off the memories of what happened. Just as he rose to his feet and took one step away from the bed, Pepito shot up, moving with inhuman speed to stand between him and the door to the hallway. A low growl came from the disheveled half-demon's throat. Todd's eyes widened in fear. What was wrong? He tried to move a step forward, but the growl turned into a harsher snarl.

"Ok, ok! I won't get up!" He backed up to sit again on the bed.

Pepito stopped growling, but remained tense and staring until Todd scooted himself to sitting up against the headboard, legs out in front of him. Then the Anti-Christ relaxed and crawled onto the bed, flopping down next to Todd with his head in his lap, facing his feet. Todd stiffened as the other boy touched him, but found himself relaxing slowly as Pepito huffed a sigh and went almost limp.

Todd was confused. This was weird. His friend was acting like an overprotective dog or something. Though, looking down at the horned head in his lap, Pepito was kind of cute this way. Disarming somehow besides the aggressive behavior a minute ago. Todd had the sudden urge to reach out and stroke his friend's head as if he really were a dog. Before he knew it, his hand was already reaching out and messy black hair ran over his fingers. Pepito's responding light hum made him smile. He was worried about his friend, but this was nice to just sit with someone and have some physical interaction that was neither painful nor scary. He did his best to ignore the dark bruises on his wrists, trying to avoid thinking about how he got them.

There was a knock on the door, startling Todd, then a cheery voice drifted in.

"Boys, are you in there? I'm making waffles and fruit salad for breakfast." Rosemary opened the door.

Pepito was up on all fours in a flash, hovering protectively over Todd's legs and growling harshly again.

"Oh my! Todd, dear, what's going on?" She looked worried and a bit frightened, not moving from the doorway.

"I don't know. He was like this when I woke up." He answered truthfully.

Rosemary quickly looked between her son and his best friend, seeing the nasty bruises on Todd's wrists. Putting her hand to her mouth in a quiet gasp, she turned to call down the hall, "Juan!"

Satan must have heard the tinge of panic in her voice because Todd saw him poof into the doorway right behind his wife, looking over her shoulder to assess the situation.

"Rosemary, please go prepare two plates of breakfast. I'm sure they'll be hungry soon." He stated, voice calm and collected.

She reluctantly nodded and left back down the stairs.

Satan did not move an inch, standing in the doorway.

Todd could feel his hands twitching nervously. The devil always made him nervous. If he was really honest with himself, the man terrified him. Glancing around, he tried to avoid the piercing gaze.

"Can you calm him down please?" Satan's voice sounded irritated, but there was an underlying hint of worry.

"Uh, I-I can try." Todd looked at his friend who still growled loudly, not taking his eyes off his father in a threatening manner. Reaching out, he tentatively set his hand on Pepito's shoulder. "It's ok. He won't hurt me." God he hoped that was the truth.

Pepito quieted, but still glared menacingly, so Todd moved his hand to again stroke his hair, figuring that it seemed to calm Pepito down before. He was relieved that it worked. Pepito sat down in front of him, legs folded.

"What's wrong with him?" Todd asked.

"What happened?" Mr. Diablo countered.

Todd looked down; he really didn't want to talk about this. "S-someone attacked me, a-and Pepito hurt him to save me. I think."

Mr. Diablo's eyes narrowed suspiciously, obviously detecting the almost-lie, but letting it go. "Hm. His demon side has taken over, though it is peculiar that it has done so in protection. Usually something like this reversion to instinct appears only for bloodlust in the heat of combat. You must bring him out of it."

"How?" He was still confused concerning the why of Pepito's behavior, but the part of him that wanted to fix things as soon as possible was stronger.

"I don't know." Satan looked thoughtful, "I expect he should come out of it if you can get him to remember his human side."

"Oh." Todd had no idea how he was going to do that.

Mr. Diablo took one more thoughtful look at his son before turning and leaving. Todd heard him speak quietly to his wife on the stairs. A few seconds later, Rosemary appeared again at the doorway bearing two full plates. Todd had to start petting Pepito again to preemptively stop a growl he saw the teen tense for.

"I'm sure everything will be alright sweetie" she offered a nervous smile and set the plates down on the floor before she too left, closing the door behind her.

Only when it was firmly shut did Todd feel Pepito relax under his hand. Now the half-demon was eying the food. Getting up slowly, keeping the slightly anxious face of his friend in the corner of his eye, Todd retrieved breakfast and returned to the bed, setting down one plate in front of Pepito. The Anti-Christ did not hesitate to cram a waffle in his mouth with his hands.

Todd couldn't help but burst into giggles, it was hilarious. His laughter only got louder when Pepito looked at him, head tilted in confusion with a section of waffle hanging out of his mouth.

"You're going to get all sticky." He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice.

Pepito smiled, but then went right back to gulping down the last of his waffles. Todd ate with the fork and knife, taking much longer to finish, making a face in disgust when his friend started licking his sticky claws clean.

"Ew. That reminds me, I really need a shower." He paused. "Will you let me take a shower?"

Pepito looked at him, face blank but attentive.

Todd heaved a sigh of relief when his friend didn't growl or move to stop him when he rose this time, very purposefully looking only at the bathroom door, trying to make his intentions as clear as possible.

* * *

A few hours went by. Todd sat on the bed for a bit, trying to think of something that might bring his friend out of this strange behavior. Then he moved to wandering slowly around the room, the Anti-Christ watching carefully, pausing for a while to browse the bookshelf for anything that might be relevant. Nothing. Flopping down in one of the beanbag chairs, he sighed in frustration. How the heck was he supposed to 'make Pepito remember his humanity'?

The teen in question hopped off the bed and wandered to sit in the other beanbag chair, staring again at Todd.

"Maybe you could please stop staring at me like that? It's getting a little creepy…"

Still staring.

"Ok…" Todd turned his attention to the TV, hoping that an hour or two of video games might spark some idea, or draw his friend's attention away from him, or at least kill some time.

As the start-up screen burst into color and sound, Pepito shifted his attention to watch it. Todd let out a tiny sigh of relief, finally a moment of respite from that gaze.

Almost two hours later his vision was starting to get a little fuzzy and his response time was noticeably slowed. Todd yawned, realizing that he wasn't completely rested due to the combination of the horrors of the party and the nightmare. After his eyes drifted shut the third time, he got up and switched off the TV, not even bothering to save the game. Taking little notice of Pepito following him, he dragged himself back into bed, curling up in his usual spot under the covers. Drowsily, he ignored Pepito as he crawled in next to him. Then he was jolted awake again, producing a small squee, as Pepito scooted up behind him and pulled the smaller teen against him. Todd froze at the feel of the half-demon curled around him, warm breath ghosting through his hair and long arms wrapped around his torso. He remained still, letting the adrenalin drain from his system. As it oozed away he could feel the other boy's warmth surrounding him. It felt… safe? Was he seriously having ideas of safety while being spooned by the son of Satan? Rolling the idea around some more in his brain, he realized that yes he _did_ feel safe here. Pepito's heat and scent were familiar, even though it still carried a hint of alcohol from the party. The physical contact was comforting, not painful or menacing.

Todd made a decision then. He decided he did like Pepito at least a little bit more than normal friendship, even if the other teen still wanted his soul. The twinge of fear was barely still there, but he pushed it back, relaxing fully in his friend's embrace and letting his eyelids drift shut.

* * *

Todd awoke slowly. The drift from dreamless sleep started with the physical sensation of warm breath lightly ghosting through his hair and comforting warmth all around. Then he became more alert as he noticed that his lower back was pressed to the wall while his face was pressed into Pepito's shirt. He found himself remaining relaxed while finally coming fully awake, realizing he and his best friend were cuddling face to face, or rather face to chest, with his arms wrapped around Pepito's waist and their legs partially intertwined.

Then his brain started working again and that niggling little worm of uncertainty started crawling around his thoughts.

Pepito woke, but didn't complain as Todd extracted himself from the embrace to sit up with his back to the wall.

"Oh Pepi, what am I supposed to do? I have no idea how to bring you out of this." He looked unhappily towards his friend.

The half-demon blinked, then scooted to lean against Todd's side, head on his shoulder.

"I don't even know if you can understand anything I'm saying, but I forgot to thank you for last night," his gaze fell to his lap where his hands twitched nervously, "You're always saving me and now that it's my turn to help you I can't do it. I don't know why you picked me as your friend. I'm totally useless. I can't see why anyone would ever want to be my friend. I mean, there was that one other kid back in kindergarten, but… well, he's gone. Now I don't even know what we are anymore. I think I like you and you keep giving me these looks as if you really liked me, but everyone I've ever seen you approach with friendly or more than friendly looking intentions you're just reeling them in so you can get them to sign off their souls to Satan. Damning them to burn in hell forever. You're a monster Pepito. Just like one from a horror story, but real. You prey on unsuspecting humans, taking advantage of their stupidity and giving no mercy.

"Am I just your longest ongoing conquest? Do you see me as nothing more than a challenge because I refused your father's offer all those years ago? Or is my soul not even worth it. I know that so much is wrong with me. I'm plagued by hideous nightmares. I don't even know sometimes what memories from my childhood are true and what were just dreams or maybe hallucinations. I feel tainted by it all, and I think that's the reason no one likes me and my parents hated me. I'm tainted. Damaged beyond repair. I bet my soul is already damned to rot in Hell and that's why you don't want it." His vision began to get blurry with threatening tears and he sniffled as his nose began to run too.

Then he felt Pepito pull away from him and looked over.

Pepito had his knees pulled up to his chest and was looking at Todd with sadness. "Is that really how you see me?" His voice wavered and Todd watched a single tear roll down his face, seeming to follow the physical change as the Anti-Christ encased himself in the magic that made him look human. Curled up there and looking at his toes, Pepito looked smaller and more helpless than Todd had ever seen him.

Todd stammered, "Uh.. um.. h-how much did you hear?" Fear gripped him.

"I don't really want to be a monster." Pepito's gaze didn't waver from his feet, but his voice wavered on the last word.

"Oh." Now he felt a little ashamed for doubting his only friend so deeply. "But, I am doomed right? I mean, all the crap that's happened to me has got to mean that I'll eventually end up roasting with all the others in your basement." He meant for it as a wry comment, but it came out sounding more like a hopeless plea.

Pepito surprised him by uncurling his body and swiftly enveloping him in a tight hug. Todd would have flailed if his arms weren't pinned to his sides.

"How could you _ever_ think that amigo?" He pulled back, keeping his hands on Todd's shoulders. "You have no idea how wrong you are. Your soul is… is…" He looked around as if searching for the right words in the air, "Can… can I show you?"

Todd looked down at the hand now hovering over his chest, then back up at his friend's face, disguised brown eyes stared earnestly into his own. "Uh, ok. I guess. Will it hurt?"

Pepito smiled, "It won't hurt, I promise."

Todd nodded, still a bit nervous.

Pepito closed his eyes in concentration, settling one hand on Todd's chest and bringing the other up to press two fingers to his temple. "Close your eyes."

He did.

First there was just the familiar fuzziness of the back of his eyelids, and then he started to get a strange image-feeling. It was an entirely new sensation, a sort of glowing humming brightness slowly materialized below him in the now gray-blank of _other-nothing_ that he sensed was the room around them. The shining _something_ felt familiar, he knew it was his, himself in a sense. The part of him that wasn't his thinking mind.

As he got used to the new sense he saw his soul more clearly, it was bright and seemed to burn with a warm but not burning flickering flame. It wasn't white exactly, there was no real color to this image-feeling, but it did feel light. No malice or evil. Pure.

Then he saw-felt the sense fade as Pepito withdrew the magic. When all he could see was once again the back of his eyelids, he opened his eyes.

* * *

Pepito was reluctant to part from that beautiful soul. He had never been allowed this close to it before and where he found it attractive and intriguing from afar, being able to touch it physically with his magic was intoxicating. He had to stop when the urge to reach his own self in and caress Todd's soul grew too great. The sensation would no doubt scare the boy off for good.

Withdrawing the magic and opening his eyes, Pepito smiled at Todd with that gentle, genuine smile he only gave the smaller boy.

"See? No worries, Squee. In fact, your soul is the purest I've ever seen," he couldn't help the tinge of adoration in his voice, "besides mine, but mine's more the opposite." He looked to the side, avoiding what he felt would be inevitable dislike in Todd's eyes.

He was greatly surprised when he felt a hand timidly press against his chest.

"Can I see yours?" Todd looked at him with earnest curiosity.

"Uh," He paused for a moment, a part of him shouting in fear that his best friend would run away from him forever if he let him see his own dark soul. "…Sure."

He had to concentrate to keep his hands from shaking as he placed one of his hands over Todd's on his chest and with the other placed Todd's other hand to his temple. Taking a slow, deep breath he drew up the magic again, closing is eyes to better focus on guiding it into his friend and then back into himself. He had never done anything like this before, and in truth he wasn't sure it was possible to show someone with no magic his soul, but it seemed to be working.

He could now sense his own soul, cold-hot with burning malice and darkness. He was timid in letting Todd in to sense it too, still in fear of rejection. He could tell that Todd was at least glimpsing it, but was utterly surprised when he felt his magic being drawn in by his friend and used to urge him to be more open. He wondered if the other teen was doing it consciously as he felt himself give way to his own longing for a deeper connection. Then a wave of adrenaline and panic hit him as he felt Todd's self _enter_ him. He gasped at the sensation. It wasintense. He could feel his physical body losing some control of itself, twitching slightly. Then Todd did what Pepito had frustratingly stopped himself from doing before, he _touched_ his soul.

Pepito could faintly hear himself moan. The touch was gentle and light, as if Todd was carefully examining his soul like a fragile glass ornament. Then there was a strange feeling as if he was searching _inside_ the flaming dark mass. Pepito didn't even know that was possible. He was so lost in the sensation of Todd that he had little control over what was happening, he let his friend take as much magic as he needed to do whatever it was he was doing, because it felt fantastic. He wanted it to never stop. His brain came back into focus a little when he saw something shining where Todd was reaching into him. There was a lightness there in his own soul that he had never seen before. Was that new? Pepito was amazed as Todd seemed to bring to the surface that shining flame of _good._ Then Pepito lost all control of himself when Todd actually caressed his soul, washing it in emotional affection. It felt like adoration, like _love_. It was ecstasy.

Before he knew it, Pepito was cutting off the flow of magic in his body's uncontrollable response to get closer to Todd and he came back to himself only as the intensely pleasurable sensation faded to find his lips pressed up against Todd's, whose eyes were wide open in surprise.

Again that surge of panic hit, "Oh Hell, Todd, I'm so sorry! I didn't, I mean, I shouldn't have, that shouldn't have, I didn't _know_…" Half a dozen sentences tried to start but none seemed right as he pulled away as quickly as possible. Damn, he knew this was going to end badly.

Confusion replaced panic as he saw Todd give him a small smile.

"It's ok, Pepi. That was my fault." He looked down for a second, but maintained that cute little smile.

Pepito's confusion got worse as Todd reached out a hand to touch one of his horns. Wait, his horns? He flinched, "Sorry Squee, I can…"

"No, it's ok. I don't mind, really." He was cut off by Todd's honest response.

He still felt the need to apologize, "But I look like a monster, like something from your nightmares."

"Pepi, you keep the nightmares _away_." The smile was wider now, "Why else would I be sleeping over here as often as possible since we were little?"

Pepito grinned back, the awkwardness was ebbing, "Really? I thought you just liked me!" he teased.

Todd chuckled, but then looked back at him with obvious nervousness. The awkwardness was back. "Pepito… I … you…" then there was a flash of shy determination before the smaller boy leaned forward and brought his lips to Pepito's in a light peck.

Pepito was momentarily stunned. Todd liked him back. _He liked him back!_ He could feel a huge happy smile stretch across his face as he reached out and brought Todd back to him for another kiss, this time applying more pressure and gently locking lips. His heart soared with happiness as Todd returned the kiss, tentatively moving his lips.

Pepito didn't want to push him too far, but he needed more. He wrapped his arms around Todd and was further encouraged when the other moved to bring their bodies closer as well. Now Pepito was feeling a bit wobbly from the emotional intensity, and as Todd reached up to hold the back of his neck he slowly began pushing the other teen down on the bed. His mind returned when he felt Todd tense up under him, and mentally reprimanded himself for being so stupid. Redirecting his movements, he flipped over, pulling Todd down on top of himself. As he felt the other male's body settling into place over his a shiver went down his spine. He had never been in the more submissive position before, but he was finding he liked it as Todd relaxed and continued to kiss him. He hummed appreciatively as Todd shifted to place a few kisses down his neck, and responded by running his hand down the human's back, feeling him shiver in kind.

Todd seemed to reach his comfort limits and lay his head on Pepito's chest, calmly snuggling with him.

"Pepito?"

"Hm?"

"Could we maybe do that soul thing again sometime?"

Oh hell yes! Pepito would have loved to go all the way right then and there, he had longed for Todd so long, but he had to remind himself that Todd was new to all this and would take time to get used to it. He probably didn't even realize that touching one-another's souls was the only way non-corporeal demons could have sex, and Pepito promised himself not to tell him, at least not yet. If Todd was willing to do that with him he could wait forever. He smiled and ran his fingers through Todd's hair.

"Sure amigo, whatever you want."

He felt Todd smile against his chest.

Pepito inwardly groaned when he heard the familiar footsteps of his mother coming up the stairs. As usual, she just opened the door.

"Oh my! I see you two figured it out." Rosemary smiled, her eyes sparkling, "Well, dinner will be on the table in a few minutes, I'll see you two down there soon."

She turned to leave and Pepito let out a small inward sigh.

Then her head popped back around the corner, "And don't forget to be safe!"

"Mother!" Pepito groaned.

Todd laughed.

**The End.**


End file.
